Application of a stereo camera device, which calculates a distance to an object using a pair of images obtained with two image pickup means and performs recognition of the object based on the distance, to an on-vehicle system and the like to assist safe running of a vehicle is being increased.
Stereo image processing utilized in these systems is obtaining the distance by applying trigonometrical survey technique to a pair of images captured with a positional interval therebetween. Generally, the device to realize this operation has a pair of image pickup means, and a stereo image processing LSI to perform trigonometrical survey processing on a pair of images outputted from these image pickup means (Patent Literature 1).
As this image processing camera is mounted on a vehicle front glass, it is required not to disturb a driver's view and to be located in a wiper area, as conditions. Further, downsizing, especially thickness reduction, is required of the camera.
As a device to realize the thickness reduction related to an image processing system using one camera, Patent Literature 2 or the like is known.